Brooks Middle School Teacher Now a Published Author

Brooks Middle School teacher Art Barnett recently published his first novel, "The Coin: A Story of the Holocaust."

Brooks Middle School Teacher Now a Published Author

Brooks Middle School teacher Art Barnett recently published his first novel, "The Coin: A Story of the Holocaust."

Brooks Middle School Teacher Now a Published Author

Brooks Middle School teacher Art Barnett recently published his first novel, "The Coin: A Story of the Holocaust."

Literally hundreds of Valley View School District 365U middle school students have learned about the Holocaust from Art Barnett. But now, with the publication of his first novel, a historical fiction piece titled “The Coin: A Story of the Holocaust,” many more youths and adults alike will learn about the Holocaust through the eyes of Barnett’s German soldier character who struggles with the moral dilemma of following orders he doesn’t believe in. “I’ve always written short stories and poems on the side because I love literature,” said Barnett who is teaching 7th grade honors language arts at Brooks Middle School this year after teaching VVSD 8th graders and high schoolers for quite a few years. “My book was a story I had lying around for …

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Author Speaks to Brooks Middle School Students

Young Adult Author Gina Damico spoke to Brooks Middle School students Monday.

Editor's note: The following press release is from Valley View School District 365U.  “Don’t give up” and “don’t feel bad” when what you write isn’t very good. That was the advice author Gina Damico gave to Brooks Middle School classes Monday during conversations in the school library. “It’s hard to get started writing something,” the author of the young adult paranormal novel Croak said. “Sometimes it flows. Sometimes it’s just agony like crawling through the desert. Don’t be discouraged.” Damico, who is on a midwest tour promoting the release of her new book, Scorch, which is the second in a trilogy she hopes to complete by next fall, told students “anyone can write. Writing comes from life. You can do it whenever and wherever you want. …

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Bolingbrook Resident Authors Children's Book Celebrating Diversity

Bolingbrook resident Denise Allegretti is author of children’s book, “Wilbur the Elephasaurus’ Great Adventure.”

As a child, Denise Allegretti longed to be an artist of sorts. “My biggest dream was to create something like (Walt) Disney did,” said the Bolingbrook resident. She taught herself how to draw and considered a career in interior design. She also dabbled in writing. These days, Allegretti is seeing her childhood dream come to fruition with the publishing of her children’s book, “Wilbur the Elephasaurus’ Great Adventure.” The mother of seven children and grandmother of six, Allegretti created the character of Wilbur to help children who struggle with being different. Her own son was bullied and teased, and as a result he no longer wanted to attend school. Allegretti said the book celebrates diversity and acceptance. “When I came up with the …

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Local Author Has the 'Write' Stuff

Critically-acclaimed author from Bolingbrook looking to expand her audience and capitalized on the e-reading world she lives in.

Dyanne Davis’ success story is rare, if not unfounded. Davis left a well-paying nursing position a decade ago to become a successful romance novelist. That in and of itself is impressive. But Davis, whose husband says is a “woman with a mind of her own,” took it a step further and has done it without the help of a publisher—something nearly unheard of in the publishing world. “I am taking my career into my own hands,” Davis said. “For years, I believed in doing business the traditional way … working with an agent and a publisher. Times have changed and that model isn’t working anymore, so I’ve had to adapt.” Davis has penned 15 books thus far in her career—Romantic Times dubbed Davis’ book “The Critic” one of the best in 2008. She also …

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